Monday, August 9, 2010

R.I.P. Jon Pieroni

Jon Pieroni, a longtime figure in the Spokane music scene (most recently as the frontman for the Perones), passed away yesterday. Pieroni had complications with his liver, which caused him to go into a coma two weeks ago. He died yesterday with his brother, Mark Pieroni (the drummer from the Perones), by his side.

"There's not a musician in this town that doesn't know that man," Steve Lyons, a longtime friend of Pieroni's who called to give us the band news, says. "I wasn't a musician — I was a friend of his. If I went out with John, there was not a place I could go where people didn't say 'Hey John, how you doin?'"

"He's just one of those guys."

Memorial services for Jon Pieroni will be held later this month, with a tribute show at Bluz at the Bend on Aug. 22 (details to come). Cary Fly, another longtime Spokane musician, started a Facebook page titled Jon Pieroni News. That page — which includes nearly 100 photos of Pieroni and is overflowing with thoughts on the man — can be viewed here.